Monday, January 23, 2017

Top 5 Books for Creatives & Girlbosses

'The more that you read, the more things you will know.The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.’

I am always on the search for new sources of inspiration. I usually find them on Pinterest, on fellow bloggers’ websites but more often than not - I find them in books. I am sharing today 5 of my favourite books that I feel every creative entrepreneur, kick-ass freelancer or blog ninja should read!

Each of these books covers some aspect of living the life of a freelancer or entrepreneur - the struggles with creative blocks, with figuring it out all, with finding motivation and just generally - getting that kick in pants you need to just START! All 5 of them have helped me a lot with fearlessly starting my own exciting journey and I am positive they will do the same for you.

The first thing you need to know about this book is - it is not just a book, it’s a whole goal-achieving system. What is different and so great about it is that it talks how we’ve got the whole to-do lists, new years resolutions and strategic planning wrong. We sit down to make our lists, come up with the goals, follow the plan and then when at some point we achieve what we set out to do - we come to realise that achieving the dream simply doesn’t make us as happy or as accomplished as we’ve expected. Why is that? Because we never asked ourselves in the beginning “how do I want to feel and what will make me feel that way?”

This book was (and still is) a serious game-changer for me! I recently re-read it in the beginning of this year and I also got the Desire Map Planner that goes with it, as it helps me keep on track with my… desires. :)

I discovered this gem while I was in Paris last year and stayed at an AirBnB apartment. It caught my eye immediately, because been struggling with starting things for so long (one of them being this blog! ) - so of course I reached for it. It reads super quick, as there is mostly sketches, quotes and short paragraphs but it motivates you like nothing else! By the end of it you feel your palms itching to … start your own business, sign up for the marathon, hand in you resignation, ask that cute boy out or anything else you’ve been putting off for too long. Seriously, if you need a kick in the butt - get the book!

This will sound cheesy, but Elzabeth’s book really spoke to me. She talks about the struggles, doubts and blocks that I imagine all creatives experience at one point. What Ioved about it (one of the many things!) is her take on what “being creative” is actually about. It is about uncovering the “hidden jewels” within each of us and allowing the to sparkle. Whether that is taking up a new hobby, tackling work challenges in a different way or making art - it is all about being inspired and creating! I can talk for hours about this book, but instead - I will simply leave you with this excerpt from it:

“[…]And you have treasures hidden within you - extraordinary treasures - and so do I, and so does everyone around us. And bringing those treasures to light takes work and faith and focus and courage and hours of devotion, and the clock is ticking and the world is spinning and we simply do not have time anymore to think so small.”

This is where it all started for me. Picking up this book and reading the first few chapters and I immediately knew right then and there what I want my life to look like (me and my laptop, running my business while travelling the world. oh yes!) The problem was - I had no clue how to get there. Luckily, Tim has the answers and he laid them in his book. Even if you don’t necessarily want to go the freelance/ entrepreneur route - this book can teach you how you can live the life you dream about, without having to wait till you retire. Nobody really wants that, right? Read the book!

I am a big fan of Malcolm. And what made me a fan was this book. I picked it as my beach read when on summer holiday last year (not your typical beach read, right?) and I devoured it! How did I not forget to turn over every now and then to avoid sunburn, I do not know. I was so engulfed in it! In “The Tipping Point” Malcolm talks about what gets ideas, products, messages etc. to spread so quickly, whereas others never do. If you are thinking of creating and selling a product or just having your ideas go viral - this book will give some ideas how to achieve that.

As I said - I am always on the lookout for good books, so if you’ve read something amazing recently - please share in the comments. You can also add me on Goodreads: HERE